Ontario Students Face Online Learning Crisis as School Delay Hits

Many students in Parry Sound, Ontario, are starting the school year without a physical school to attend. Due to construction delays of a new kindergarten-to-Grade 12 facility, all high school students in the community are now required to participate in online learning. The Near North District School Board announced this last-minute contingency plan just one week before classes were set to begin, igniting frustration among students and parents.

The new school’s construction setbacks have left parents like Amy Black deeply concerned. Black, an organizer of the Facebook group Parents for Parry Sound, highlighted the stress this situation brings, especially for Grade 12 students preparing for post-secondary education. “Grade 12 is a really important year, especially the first semester… A lot of students with special needs are not receiving the support they need,” she stated.

In an online statement, the school board detailed their plan for the 2023 school year, directing students in kindergarten to Grade 6 to attend McDougall Public School and Grades 7 and 8 to the previously closed Nobel Public School. Yet, high school students are left to navigate online classes from home. The board indicated that students would eventually move into the old Parry Sound High School, which is currently undergoing partial demolition.

Concerns surrounding the safety of Nobel Public School have been raised, as it was slated for permanent closure last year due to its dilapidated condition. Black noted that multiple attempts to contact the school board for clarity have gone unanswered, further exacerbating the situation. Many students have lacked the necessary technology for remote learning, prompting local businesses and private donors to step in to provide laptops and Wi-Fi access.

Parent Shawna Woods shared her distress, describing the first day of school as an “absolute disaster.” Her family received three laptops from an anonymous donor, as they had not heard back from the school board regarding their own request. “My boys were super excited to participate in sports teams and tech classes, neither of which can happen while online,” Woods lamented.

Woods also expressed concern about the toll remote learning is taking on her children’s mental well-being, especially after the struggles they faced during the COVID-19 lockdowns. “Now we are back to the same sort of situation, and her mental health is deteriorating again,” she said, referring to her daughter’s declining spirits.

The mayor of Parry Sound, Jamie McGarvey, has voiced disappointment over the delays. In May, education officials assured the community that the new school would be completed on time. Currently, city staff are collaborating with the school board and a construction company to determine whether the old high school can be utilized temporarily. McGarvey pointed out that the building requires thorough safety checks due to prior asbestos abatement and demolition work.

“The building code says that occupancy can’t be allowed until all the boxes are checked,” McGarvey stated, emphasizing the need to ensure safety for students, staff, and visitors.

In response to the ongoing issues, both Parents for Parry Sound and McGarvey have requested an investigation into the management of the Near North District School Board, citing the handling of the situation as inadequate. McGarvey confirmed that the Minister of Education has agreed to open an investigation. “Something is seriously wrong,” he asserted. “Nothing seems to have gone right, and we need to get to the bottom of it because those students are our future.”

As the school year progresses, parents and students are left grappling with uncertainty, hoping for a swift resolution to this troubling situation. The lack of communication from the school board has only added to their frustration, with many feeling that the students’ needs have not been prioritized.